Movies featuring comic book characters boost business for comic book stores

By DUSTIN GEORGEStaff writer

Published: Wednesday, June 11, 2014 at 5:41 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, June 11, 2014 at 5:41 p.m.

Traditionally, the warmer months have always been a time for getaways and beaches, swimsuits and cookouts, but as the past few years have shown, there’s something to be said for giant robots, Spandex, and fighting evil.

Daniel McAbee has been the owner of The Tangled Web, a comic book shop on West Blackstock Road in Spartanburg, for 18 years. He said business has been picking up with the recent influx of superhero movies and television programs.

“People aren’t saying, ‘If you’ve got a kid take them to the comic book shop.’ They are saying, ‘This is the No. 1 grossing movie in the world’ – and it’s a comic book movie,” McAbee said.

During the ‘90s, the comic book industry began to grow at an exponential rate, with people speculating on comics that had been “limited” to about 1 million printings, hoping that the value on them would rise as time went on.

According to McAbee, the average print run for a comic today is about 35,000 copies.

“It was a really interesting but overall unhealthy period for comics,” he said.

Eventually the bubble burst, and the books people thought they could sell for huge profits became worthless. It would take the comic book industry years to recover.

Rob Young, owner of Borderlands Comics and Games in Greenville, said reaching out into the community with events like Free Comic Book Day has helped. Free Comic Book Day is an event shops all over North America participate in on the first Saturday in May.

“Movies remind people these characters exist. Free Comic Book Day gives us a chance to help them explore them again,” he said.

Free Comic Book Day not only allows older readers to return to the characters they once knew, but it’s also a chance to get their kids involved. Comics based on properties like “My Little Pony” and “Adventure Time” are among popular titles, McAbee said.

Some parents find comic books are one of the only ways to get their children excited about reading, he said.

For Young, it’s part of a larger effort to give back and make his store part of his community, something he thinks is essential to success.

“It doesn’t work on a spreadsheet,” he said, but by being involved he thinks his shop becomes more than just a place for people to buy things, which can only help business.

Young’s store recently hosted the first South Carolina Comic Con, drawing an estimated 6,700 people from all over the South to Greenville. At such events, it’s not uncommon to find scores of fans dressed as their favorite comic book movie or television show hero or villain.

Shows like “Arrow,” “The Walking Dead” and “The Big Bang Theory” essentially all serve as advertisements for comic book culture and the source material on which they are based. Fans of a show find their way to The Tangled Web or Borderlands to find out more.

Both vendors plan to have booths at HeroesCon in Charlotte, N.C., June 20-22.

As for the growth the industry has seen over the last few years, Young thinks it’s only just beginning.

“The business is good,” he said. “We’re working hard and people are responding. I don’t think we’ve seen the top of it.”

<p>Traditionally, the warmer months have always been a time for getaways and beaches, swimsuits and cookouts, but as the past few years have shown, there's something to be said for giant robots, Spandex, and fighting evil.</p><p>Daniel McAbee has been the owner of The Tangled Web, a comic book shop on West Blackstock Road in Spartanburg, for 18 years. He said business has been picking up with the recent influx of superhero movies and television programs. </p><p>“People aren't saying, 'If you've got a kid take them to the comic book shop.' They are saying, 'This is the No. 1 grossing movie in the world' – and it's a comic book movie,” McAbee said.</p><p>During the '90s, the comic book industry began to grow at an exponential rate, with people speculating on comics that had been “limited” to about 1 million printings, hoping that the value on them would rise as time went on. </p><p>According to McAbee, the average print run for a comic today is about 35,000 copies.</p><p>“It was a really interesting but overall unhealthy period for comics,” he said. </p><p>Eventually the bubble burst, and the books people thought they could sell for huge profits became worthless. It would take the comic book industry years to recover.</p><p>Rob Young, owner of Borderlands Comics and Games in Greenville, said reaching out into the community with events like Free Comic Book Day has helped. Free Comic Book Day is an event shops all over North America participate in on the first Saturday in May.</p><p>“Movies remind people these characters exist. Free Comic Book Day gives us a chance to help them explore them again,” he said.</p><p>Free Comic Book Day not only allows older readers to return to the characters they once knew, but it's also a chance to get their kids involved. Comics based on properties like “My Little Pony” and “Adventure Time” are among popular titles, McAbee said.</p><p>Some parents find comic books are one of the only ways to get their children excited about reading, he said.</p><p>For Young, it's part of a larger effort to give back and make his store part of his community, something he thinks is essential to success. </p><p>“It doesn't work on a spreadsheet,” he said, but by being involved he thinks his shop becomes more than just a place for people to buy things, which can only help business. </p><p>Young's store recently hosted the first South Carolina Comic Con, drawing an estimated 6,700 people from all over the South to Greenville. At such events, it's not uncommon to find scores of fans dressed as their favorite comic book movie or television show hero or villain.</p><p>Shows like “Arrow,” “The Walking Dead” and “The Big Bang Theory” essentially all serve as advertisements for comic book culture and the source material on which they are based. Fans of a show find their way to The Tangled Web or Borderlands to find out more.</p><p>Both vendors plan to have booths at HeroesCon in Charlotte, N.C., June 20-22.</p><p>As for the growth the industry has seen over the last few years, Young thinks it's only just beginning.</p><p>“The business is good,” he said. “We're working hard and people are responding. I don't think we've seen the top of it.”</p>